I've no idea whether it's global warming or just a bit of unseasonably pleasant weather, but we certainly thought we had escaped a proper winter this year. Until three weeks ago – Thursday 18th January to be precise – when wind and rain (and snow in some places) reminded us that winter was on the way!

Why am I telling you this when you know it already? Just to underline the point that brand new blocks of apartments are stress-free for investors. If roof tiles get blown off or if anything else goes wrong, the cost is covered either by the 10 year guarantee or by the service charge.

I wish I could say the same about my Tyneside and Teesside Victorian terraces. Whenever I see bad weather on the news, I expect a phone call from my managing agents soon after. There's always something!

Ever mindful of the criminal elements amongst the building repair trade, the Trading Standards Office gave the following advice:

• Never do business with an unknown trader who cold calls at your house.
• Always make an initial check with your insurance company to see if they have a procedure for dealing with storm damage. This may include only using authorised traders to carry out the repairs.
• If practical and safe, take photographs of the damage and work carried out.

And that's another great advantage of investing in sunny places like Cyprus, Morocco and Crete. As well as the buildings guarantee, there is also the nice sunny weather to make accidental damage a very rare occurrence.

All these things should be taken into account when you select an investment property. Lack of stress and hassle has a value. To a few, this value is negligible, but to most it is worth its weight in gold.

www.viceroyinvest.com

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